Sisu

It has been almost three months since Liverpool Slush’D and I cannot really tell you where all of that time has gone.

Honestly, I really fell into it. In 2022 I made a point of using my spare time to do the tech conference circuit. Silicon Valley in April, Barcelona in May (for EU Startups), October in Lisbon (for Web Summit) and then in November, Helsinki (for Slush); Yet it was Slush which left its mark on me in the most pronounced manner.

I never really thought I would have much affinity with Finland. I knew it would be cold there, and that it was a sort of halfway house where Hygge Scandi vibes meet Baltic and Eastern European grit. I’m not sure what I was looking for, but I found it in abundance.

Everything about the event in Helsinki stood out. It wasn’t oversold. There was space to sit and work and relax. It didn’t feel like attendees were being rinsed (some other conferences definitely feel like that…). Above all else, though, there was this charmingly warm and positive atmosphere. It puzzled me because I had it in my head that colder climbs got through the winter months with a hearty dose of vodka and some SSRIs – but everywhere I went, there was this ‘in yer face’ quality to all of the locals. It reminded me in some ways of my Liverpool home. I later learned the untranslatable word that describes the character trait which produces such hardy yet friendly, positive people.

The architecture, temperature and overall level of social and economic wellbeing sure was different – but ultimately there was this unmistakable port city ambiance which welcomed everybody, whether they were a misfit, a worker, an eccentric or royalty; All are equal when kneeling before the -26 degrees celsius gales and frozen sea. I have never simultaneously felt in such an alien environment but also so completely at home.

After a few days of exploring, sightseeing and enjoying what I firmly believe is the greatest startup event on Earth, I found myself in a peculiar – yet strangely familiar situation. My watch read something like 03:20, the music was blaring and I was drinking my umpteenth ‘Original Long Drink’. I’d been schmoozing since about 5pm when the conference ended and the Slush Volunteers handed out more free drinks than I can fathom. Maya Jane Coles had played a superb set to finish off the night, and then – as is with every night of the week of Slush – everybody scuttled away to the much lauded private afterparties.

It was there that I got chatting to somebody who, in a bit of a worse for wear state, said “You should totally think about doing a Slush’D event, man.” I signed up to express interest and sort of forgot about it, until a few months later I was prompted to do a pitch – which, by some twist of fate, I won.

I have had a tumultuous year in 2023. On one level, sure – everybody’s lives have ups and downs. This year just felt very pronounced for me though, in this regard. There were many quite severe highs and lows in my personal and work life in a short space of time, and I must recognise that there were points where I felt a bit disassociated from things I had previously loved or been highly engaged in. The worst of things was having a health false alarm which seemed, at one point, very real. I’m pretty good at masking things but I think people I was working with could tell something was up. I just seemed blank, as if there was no brain activity going on. No creativity or drive. I was fortunate that once July came, I had gotten to a point where I was at least feeling relatively back in control of my own destiny and on top of my health, relationships and future.

I didn’t really have time to think about things or reflect on what had gone on. Rather, I had to set about putting together a conference, working out how I would cover my costs and how I would make it all happen.

I am fortunate that I have had a career where I was exposed to the difficult practicalities of putting together an event that people are excited about and will attend. It had been a long time since International Festival for Business 2016 but these things are sort of like riding a bike – you don’t forget what you must do in order to avoid falling and incurring a nasty scrape. I was able to call on a fantastic network of old colleagues and new partners whose organisations would become sponsors, speakers and supporters.

The day came round quickly – and despite some last minute speaker and sponsor dropouts – went exactly to plan. My hastily edited, AI-enabled intro video – featuring a medley of Avicii and ‘In This City’ (a true scouse late noughties anthem) – got everybody to their seats ready for the main spectacle. I quizzed our Mayor, Steve Rotheram, on stage about his policy ideas to stimulate the tech economy. I asked the Finnish Ambassador what the secret sauce behind Slush was. I held panels of investors and entrepreneurs, sharing their wisdom with the crowd – my friends; whom I just wanted to entertain and inspire. Our keynotes shone a light on how to attain stardom in tech, with their stories captivating the audience for the entirety of their stage time. My friend Ant Chandler lit up the evening entertainment slot with a set that delighted everyone, and the food from Abjak was nothing short of superb. Amongst the pats on my shoulder, and “well in, lad”-esque brief conversations with people, I also fell into something totally unexpected – a conversation with someone that would come into my life out of the blue and make me re-evaluate things for the better.

I’ve hesitated with writing this blog. I initially set myself a goal of doing some kind of official follow-up from Liverpool Slush’D a couple of weeks after it happened – but I found myself part-enjoying life too much, and part-overly engaged in new endeavours. I’m spending a lot of time in London, meeting some of the best founders and investors our country has to offer. I’m talking to people who understand my ambition. I’m mixing with people who speak my language – after such a long time feeling mute. The ability to last for long periods of tough times, is what the Finns call Sisu. It is an intangible word. There is no direct translation, just a sort of description of the experience one goes through in order to have Sisu; the grit to endure hardship indefinitely and smile back at the assailant, even if it is life itself.

Despite starting to write this several weeks ago, adding to it whilst on holiday in Stockholm and staring at it for a while in the comfort of my own home - I’m finishing this blog on a plane back to Helsinki. It’s time for Slush 2023. This year, I’m not the only scouser – the entire Baltic Ventures cohort is coming over, and I can’t explain the level of pride I feel that the belief I - and a few other plucky individuals - had several years ago in the fledgling, green shoots of our nascent tech ecosystem (that’s a nod to you, Leon Rossiter, you trailblazer - fuck every single armchair commentator on Twitter who took the liberty of taking shots at you for Peepl not working out. You were in the arena; they were not.) despite being often scorned, ridiculed and derided – has manifested in a whole Liverpool-based accelerator [that didn’t exist two years ago] cohort coming here, raising money and competing on the European stage.

I have had a few longform written pieces sat here, gathering dust – which I will soon edit, format and publish. Some are policy critiques or observations of what’s happening in different startup and investment markets. Other blogs debate the direction of our national tech economy, detail thoughts around defense technology or give my latest musings on what any of this current state of economic play – in the broadest sense - means for the UK and its people.

For me, this trip to Helsinki isn’t about meeting investors or discovering the latest ‘current thing’. It’s about rediscovering the magic I felt towards technology and its ability to elevate people’s living standards – which is the core of who I was, who I want to be and who I will be.